Common Cause Federation in the Works

Another orthodox North American Anglican federation is in the works, this one among the Common Cause partners.

I’m glad to see this. There is a need for orthodox Anglicans to get their act together after decades of splintering and become more united. For thing, we can hardly ask for an orthodox North American province in the Anglican Communion if there isn’t a sizable active unified orthodox body already. And since quick mergers aren’t viable or wise, a federation is the best near-term way to go about that.

Archbishop of Canterbury calls meeting of U. S. bishops.

Earlier this month, in discussing ++Rowan Williams' response to requests for alternative oversight, I wrote:

I’m encouraged that ++Rowan has already been proactive in this matter. . . He seems to see that the usual delay . . . will not do.

Today comes more reason to be encouraged. He has called a meeting of select U. S. bishops in September.

A chief purpose of the meeting will be to bring about a resolution of conflict in the Episcopal Church short of lawsuits and bloodshed.

Bishop Leo Iker will be there and sounds encouraged as well:

We are grateful to the Archbishop of Canterbury for his efforts to broker a cease fire in our current conflicts and to assist us in finding a way to work through the impasse we have reached. If things go well at this initial meeting, additional dates have been set aside to continue our deliberations in the future.

Again, it’s good to see that ++Rowan sees that the usual Anglican practices of delay, fudge, and bureaucratic subversion (See the Panel of Reference.) will not do in the current situation.

JonBenet Ramsey and the Media Wolves

We were all surprised last night with the news that the alleged (and now confessed) killer of JonBenet Ramsey has been arrested.

This may sound awful, but I wouldn’t care that much . . . except for one thing. You see, I got sick and tired of the endless media coverage years ago. Yes, it’s awful when a child is murdered. But children are murdered every day and their cases aren’t flogged week after week, month after month in the news media. I particularly got tired of the creepy video of JonBenet in a beauty pageant. The news media was fixated on this case.

And many in the news media were fixated on pinning her parents as the killers. And that’s why I now care. Now, personally, I think parents who put a six year old in beauty pageants need a reality check. But I’d like to give a reality check or two to a lot of parents. That does not justify the relentless media smear job against them.

Now, it appears they may have had nothing to do with the murder. If that indeed turns out to be the case, there are a score of media hounds who should be flogged . . . in public . . . within an inch of their lives.

I’ve had it with news media scum who feel they have carte blanche to act as judge and jury and destroy people’s reputations before convictions and even before indictments as in this case.

I’m hesitant to restrict press freedom, but the founding fathers surely did not intend to protect this kind of press misconduct. And the news media has proven they can not be trusted with the reputations of innocent people.

It’s time to restrict media conduct in crime cases. In Australia, if I’m not mistaken, the media cannot reveal a suspect’s name in a case of a crime against a child until after conviction. That would be good step.

And Australia certainly has robust press freedom. It’s not necessary to have open season on the reputations of the accused but innocent to have a free press.

It’s time to put a muzzle on the media wolves.

I like Chuck+.

Rev. Chuck Collins, rector of Christ Church, San Antonio has written again about his parish’s response to the current situation of the Episcopal Church. You might remember his parish has announced that they are disassociating from TEC pending an avenue from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates to do so.

I must say I like Collins’+ very Texan approach. He talks straight while politely seeking to be a team player as much as possible. At the same time, he has a no nonsense view toward apostasy. There is a limit to what he’ll take -- and it’s been reached.

I think his parish’s strategy of saying “Enough!” yet waiting for the ABC and the Primates to provide a way to stay in the Anglican Communion while leaving TEC is a wise, balanced and catholic one as is their move to join the Network.

And their effort to work cooperatively with their bishop is commendable as well. And the Bishop of West Texas seems accommodating and supportive so far.

I’ve been hard on the Diocese of West Texas. But lately that diocese is providing examples of wise conduct when confronted with apostasy.

The Evolution of a Worshipper


(direct link to cartoon at Cartoonchurch.com)


This cartoon has been going about the churchly blogdom. So you’ve probably seen it.

I was mildly puzzled by it for some time. Then while I was driving (My best thoughts often come to me behind the wheel.), I thought, “That’s me!”

Around 18, I got involved in the charismatic movement, so hands up and letting loose was my preferred worship style. Through the years my style toned down in more mainstream “praise and worship” style churches, but I was still quite involved in the worship.

But eventually I became disenchanted with “praise and worship” style services, sometimes also called “hymn sandwiches.” Often, they annoyed me more than they helped me worship. I was guy #5.

Then I discovered traditional Anglican services like the guy at the right. And the rest is history.

Like I said, that’s me (although I’m not a crucifer . . . yet).

Pipe Dream Update

I’ve mentioned that, in spite of being the World’s Fastest Seminary Drop-out, I have a (pipe?) dream of studying at Oxford. Well, I do have some enquiries out about that, although I’m not holding my breath. If you wish to avoid excess academic pressure as I do, that reduces your options at Oxford, to put it mildly.

But I so wish to go that I want to exhaust the possibilities before I write it off. And, hey, God answers prayer, so you never know. . . .

In the meantime I’m about to take, for credit no less, Liturgics I from Cranmer House’s distance program and Dr. Daniel Dunlap. Yes, there are papers and an exam. But the format is flexible while still challenging. And although I’m not going after a degree, you never know when the credit might come in handy.

Canterbury Receives Consolidated APO Request

The Seven Episcopal dioceses requesting Alternative Primatial Oversight have consolidated their requests into one 14 page petition and sent it to the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, as reported at the Living Church.

I’m encouraged that ++Rowan has already been proactive in this matter, quickly asking that the requests be consolidated into one. He seems to see that the usual delay, such as sending the requests to the circular file known as the Panel of Reference, will not do.

I’ll go further and say that if he wishes to keep the Anglican Communion somewhat intact, and he does, then he must treat the petition as a serious and urgent matter. Some primates are already unhappy over the subversion of the Panel of Reference, and rightly so. If ++Rowan doesn’t give this effort to bring relief for orthodox Anglicans the concern it merits, there will be that much less incentive for conservatives to stick with the AC.

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Also note that TEC Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold has cancelled the House of Bishops meeting this Fall. Whatever his reasons, it’s a wise move. Nothing good was going to come out of that meeting. And certain Left Coast bishops were hoping to use it to dispose the orthodox bishop of San Joaquin.

So kudos to ++Frank. (Wow! Did I just say that?)